Troublesome Situations
by Isilarma
Summary: Dark wizards they can handle. Magical creatures, illnesses and Muggles, likewise. A school full of children? That may be a little more problematic. A collection of oneshots showing the everyday trials facing the Founders of Hogwarts. Part of the Tales of the Founders series.
1. Romantic Entanglements

**Troublesome Situations**

**Isilarma**

**Written for the Emotions Competition (letter: H, emotion: awkward). This is set in the early months of AD1005, so after my other oneshots. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and am not affiliated with Bloomsbury or Scholastic Inc.**

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Salazar stared out over the rows of students and nodded. The lesson was going well; the students were attentive and cheerful, and so far there had been no accidents. Automatically, his gaze flickered back to William, but the Slytherin just flashed him a quick grin before returning to his potion. Salazar continued to watch, but for once the notoriously accident prone boy seemed to know what he was doing. Maybe they would finally manage an entire lesson without something being destroyed. The rest of the class was working steadily, their voices little more than murmurs as they conferred with their partners.

So the shout that echoed through the corridors carried very clearly.

"It is my choice!"

Salazar closed his eyes for a moment. He recognised that voice. From the sudden outbreak of whispers and covert looks, so did his students.

"Settle down."

The class subsided immediately, but a moment later they heard another shout.

"No, you do not, because if you did you would leave me to make it in peace."

A different voice was heard then. "How can you decide when you will not listen to me?"

Salazar sighed and began to move towards the door. "You will wait for my return," he said to his now silent class. "William, if you so much as touch those Ashwinder eggs you will be in detention for the rest of the month."

"Would I do such a thing, sir?"

Salazar paused to raise an eyebrow at him. "Would you really like me to answer that?" William gave a sheepish grin and he suppressed another sigh. "I shall return shortly."

Salazar didn't waste any time as he headed for the source of the disturbance. He understood the situation, and to a certain extent he empathised with the pair, but there was no need for this sort of behaviour. They were acting like children, and it wasn't even the first time it had happened. Salazar for one was getting thoroughly fed up of it.

"For the last time, I said no!"

A low growl rose in Salazar's throat. This was getting ridiculous. The voices were coming from just around the corridor, quieter now, but still audible to his sharp hearing.

"Hel's teeth, will you lower your voice before you disturb the entire castle?"

Well, at least one of them had some sense. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly enough. Salazar fixed his most forbidding frown in place and stepped round the corner.

"I believe it is a little late for that."

He was rather gratified by the results. Edmund's face went from red to ashen so fast it looked like he had been cursed. Helena's mouth snapped shut, and Salazar took full advantage of the momentary silence.

"Would either of you care to explain your behaviour?"

Edmund opened his mouth, but Helena got there first. "The good Baron is refusing to leave me alone."

"The good lady is refusing to listen," Edmund retorted.

"I would if you said anything worth listening to."

"Why are you always making assumptions?"

"Enough!"

Both fell silent at the pulse of magic the command carried, but they continued to glare at each other. Salazar took a moment to control himself before continuing more calmly. "The two of you are disgracing yourselves. Edmund, is this any way for someone of your standing to behave? I find myself most disappointed."

Edmund flushed and he looked down, but Helena's smirk was wiped from her face when Salazar turned his attention to her. "And you too should know better. What would your mother say?" Helena bit her lip, her defiance fading at the reminder. Salazar shook his head.

"I understand that there are complications in this matter, but this is not the way to manage them. I suggest you resume this conversation at a more appropriate time and place tomorrow." He lowered his voice, and was pleased to see both of them twitch. "And if I ever witness such a disturbance again, I shall be most displeased."

Edmund inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Yes, sir." He gave a stiff bow in Helena's direction and stalked away up the corridor.

Salazar waited until he had gone before turning to Helena. "This is the second time this month that the two of you have disagreed in public."

Helena frowned. "It is he who continues to insist upon engaging me."

"Your mother-"

"Does not have the right to decide who I should marry. She promised me that it would be my choice."

Salazar suppressed a sigh with an effort. Rowena's own experiences had driven her to make that promise. He had to wonder if she now regretted it.

"She did, and she will honour it. You will not be forced into anything."

"Then why does she keep encouraging him?"

"Because she wants what is best for you. Surely you can see that."

Helena's defiant expression faltered. "Of course I do."

"Then why will you not listen?" His voice softened. "Edmund is a good man, Helena, and he has the greatest respect for you. He would make a good husband."

Helena did not look convinced. "Do you really think so, or are you just saying that because he was in your house?"

Salazar raised an eyebrow. "I am saying it because it is the truth," he said sharply. "Have you even tried listening to him?" She didn't reply and he sighed. "Stubborn child."

Helena frowned at him. "I am no longer a child, Uncle."

"Then prove it. Put aside your dislike and try to talk to him. You may find that you have more in common than you realise."

Helena still looked dubious, but after a moment her shoulders slumped. "I will try." She shot him a wary glance. "And if I still do not care for him?"

"Then we will abide by your decision," said Salazar quietly. "All of us."

Helena gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

"You are quite welcome."

They stood in silence for a moment before Helena sighed. "I should go. I still have research to do for Mother." She hesitated. "You won't tell her about this, will you?" Her voice was level, but her eyes were practically pleading with him.

Salazar held her gaze for a long moment. "I will tell her that he visited again, though I suspect she is already aware of that. I suppose there is no need to mention your little debate."

"Oh, thank you."

"Provided you promise to at least think about what I have said," he finished.

Helena grimaced, but nodded. "Very well." There was a pause, then she added quietly, "I am sorry we disturbed you."

Salazar sighed. "Just make sure that it does not happen again."

"It will not," she assured him. "His arrival today was unexpected, and I was not prepared for it."

Salazar shook his head. "That will not do. Do you not remember what I taught you?"

She laughed. "How could I not? You repeated it enough times."

"And yet it still has not sunk in."

Her cheeks tinged pink. "Weren't you in the middle of a lesson?"

Salazar smirked at her. "If they have not blown themselves up yet, I doubt they will in the next couple of minutes." Although with William in the room... "Nevertheless, I should be getting back." He fixed her with a sharp look. "You will remember what I said?"

"Yes, Uncle."

Salazar smiled at her. "Off you go then."

Helen dipped a brief curtsey before disappearing back to the Entrance Hall. Only once she had gone did Salazar breathe a sigh of relief. He hated dealing with situations like that. He seemed to have gotten through to them for now, but he was under no illusions that it would last. Salazar loved Helena like he would his own daughter, but she was incredibly stubborn, and Edmund was little better. It was going to take more than one conversation to change that.

Salazar sighed and turned back to his classroom. There was nothing more he could do for the couple now. They would just have to work this out by themselves.

His thoughts were interrupted by a crash, and an all too familiar yelp.

"William, what did I tell you about those Ashwinder eggs?"

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**That was fun to write. Just wondering, would people be interested if I extended this into a collection of oneshots about the Founders' lives at Hogwarts? No Dark wizards and danger, just the day to day events of Hogwarts, and the inevitable complications that arise.**

**Thoughts? **


	2. Difficult Days

**Troublesome Situations**

**Isilarma**

**Difficult Days**

**So I have decided to make a collection of these. This particular one was written for round 6 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, which had to be a 'Slice of Life' story. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and am not affiliated with Bloomsbury or Scholastic Inc.**

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Godric slumped into a chair and leaned his head back. As much as he loved teaching, there was no denying that it was hard work. The students had been restless all week, and it had been a struggle for even him to hold their attention long enough to teach them the theory. And the practical aspect... Godric shuddered. He hadn't known it was possible for Disarming Charms to cause the target to explode like that. Godric closed his eyes. Lessons had finished for the day. He could afford to take a few minutes break.

He had a grand total of thirty seconds peace before the door was thrown open so hard it slammed against the wall and bounced back.

"Of all the idiotic, incompetent, self-obsessed-"

Godric suppressed a groan and forced his eyes open. "What happened, Rowena?" She was pacing up and down, and pink spots glowed in her cheeks.

"I have spent the past two hours trying to teach the Blacksmith siblings to Vanish mice," she growled. "They have shrunk them, grown them, turned them different colours, made them sing, dance, and even multiply, but Vanish? Not one whisker." She sank down into a chair with a sigh. "I simply do not know how to make it any clearer."

Godric raised his head to look at her properly. "You will manage. You always do."

She sighed again. "I hope so."

Godric grimaced. "Well if it makes you feel any better, I had to spend the entire morning teaching the latest group how to deal with hinkypunks."

Rowena frowned. "But hinkypunks are not that difficult to manage."

"I didn't think so either, but I have been wrong before."

"I am well aware of that." Godric raised an eyebrow, and she sighed. "My apologies. It has not been the easiest of weeks."

Godric leaned over to pat her on the arm. "It is quite all right. I think we are all on edge today."

"I know I am."

Godric glanced round to see Helga standing in the doorway. Strands of hair hung loose around her face and her robes were smeared with mud, but she seemed too weary to care as she took her seat.

"Why must they always try to play with the Venomous Tentacula?"

Rowena gave her a sympathetic smile. "For some reason, they always attempt the most difficult spells and potions by themselves." She shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder if this was such a good idea."

"How will they learn better if we do not teach them?" asked Helga gently.

"But we can only do so much," said Godric. "We cannot teach them if they do not want to learn, and I have to wonder if some of them do." The fact that half of them had spent more time playing with the hinkypunk than listening to how to fight it was evidence enough of that.

"It does seem like most of them do not want to be here," Rowena agreed. "They do not listen, and they constantly complain about the work assigned."

"They are children," Helga protested. "It is only natural that they will lose focus at times."

"True," Godric admitted. "But lately it seems to be all the time."

Helga didn't reply. She didn't have to. The students had been more restless than usual. Every one of them had noticed, yet none of them had any idea what to do about it.

Godric sighed. They had been doing well. Perhaps too well. Already the name of Hogwarts was spreading; they had had more letters requesting entrance this year than they had ever had previously. In a year or two, they could well have double their current numbers of students.

How would they manage that if they could barely handle the ones they had now?

How much good were they really doing? A half-trained wizard was just as dangerous as an untrained one; maybe even more so since they had a good enough grasp of the basics to try to develop their skills alone, usually with catastrophic results. They could not watch their students all the time, and if this was how they behaved in the classroom, Godric shuddered to think what they would be like in the real world. They all did their best to impress upon their charges just how dangerous the world could be for people like them, but on days like this he had to wonder if they were taking any of it in.

Godric's fists clenched. They would be to blame for any harm that befell the students; they had all accepted that responsibility when this began. It was up to them to teach them and protect them.

Right now, Godric could not suppress the horrible feeling that they were failing miserably.

"It is only a rough patch," said Helga quietly. "Things will improve."

"They could not get much worse," Rowena pointed out.

Godric shifted uncomfortably. The conversation was becoming increasingly depressing. "I wonder how Salazar is getting on."

As he had expected, Helga's attention was immediately diverted. "I have not seen him since breakfast. I hope he is all right."

Rowena grimaced. "Well, due to the lack of explosions originating from the dungeons, I would say that he is having a better time of it than the rest of us are."

Godric hoped she was right. Salazar knew better than anyone how dangerous the world could be, and so he was always the one to place the most emphasis on the importance of their lessons. Consequently, the students knew better than to mess around in his classes, but in their current mood...

"I do wonder where he is though," Helga murmured. "He does not have anything extra scheduled for tonight."

"He probably got distracted," said Rowena. "It has happened before."

Helga opened her mouth to defend him, albeit half-heartedly, but at that moment the door opened and Salazar entered the room. He glanced enquiringly at the three of them.

"Did I miss something?"

Godric managed a smile. "Nothing important. Where have you been?"

Salazar did not look entirely convinced, but he answered readily enough. "I have been having a most interesting discussion with Edmund and Hengist."

Rowena raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Salazar eased himself down next to Helga. "They volunteered to collect some ingredients for me this afternoon, but it seems they ran into a slight complication."

Godric's eyes narrowed. Coming from Salazar, a slight complication could mean anything from not having enough money to having to fight a dragon.

"What happened?" asked Rowena warily.

Salazar's jaw tightened. "They ran across a group of Muggles. They were being somewhat vocal."

"Are they all right?" Godric demanded.

"They are fine," Salazar assured him. "They did nothing to attract attention." Godric relaxed, but the relief died when Salazar continued, "At least at first."

Rowena closed her eyes. "Explain. Now."

"They were a little preoccupied with the witch they were tormenting," said Salazar. His voice was quite calm, but his eyes were flashing, and his knuckles were white as they gripped his staff. Helga's face went bone grey.

"What happened?"

Salazar's gaze softened, and he took her hand. "She is fine. Do you really think either Hengist or Edmund would stand by and let that happen?"

Rowena glanced at him. "They intervened?"

Salazar nodded. "They took the girl to Edmund's family. She is shaken, but unharmed."

Relief flooded Godric. "Did they-"

"Yes, they wiped the Muggles' memories. There will not be any repercussions." He smiled at Godric. "It is a good thing you taught them that."

Helga drew in a sharp breath. Rowena's mouth opened then closed. Godric just stared at him. Salazar looked round at them.

"What is it?"

Godric felt a slow smile spread across his face. "Never mind. I am glad it went well."

"As am I," Helga murmured. "They did very well."

"We can certainly be proud of them both," said Rowena quietly. "It seems they have learned a great deal."

Salazar frowned. "Of course they have. They have been here for years."

"We know," said Godric. "But sometimes it seems like they, along with the others, do not take in as much as we might like."

Salazar shrugged. "Well, it seems they are learning more than you think they are."

Godric considered for a moment. True, the past week had been difficult, but they had had difficult days before. And it was becoming clear that their students were indeed paying attention. Even if they didn't seem to be. From the way Rowena was relaxing, and a smile was spreading across Helga's face, they were coming to the same realisation. Salazar glanced round at each of them in turn, his concern now mingled with bewilderment.

"Did I miss something?"

Helga laughed and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "Not at all."

The rare sight of a visibly flustered Salazar was enough to lift the last Godric's depression. It might not be easy, but they were going to be fine.

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**Any feedback would be very much appreciated.**


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